The Young Parents Project- Advocate Program.

The Second Chance Act Strengthening Relationships Between Young Fathers, Young Mothers, and Their Children provides funding to support the successful transition of young fathers and mothers as they return to their families and communities from incarceration. This program funds coordinated and comprehensive strategies that incorporate (1) mentoring and transitional reentry services proven to reduce recidivism, (2) effective parenting skills development and parent/child relationship engagement for young fathers or mothers, and (3) private and community service partnerships that promote public safety and support added positive outcomes for young parents and their children.

The Advocate Program, Inc., of Miami-Dade County, Florida, will partner with the Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy to support the successful reentry of 48 juvenile offenders who are young mothers (ages 13 to 19) as they transition from confinement back to their families and communities, a time when they are most vulnerable. The project will support collaboration between a well-established local nonprofit organization and an innovative university partner to fill the gaps in juvenile justice services for pregnant and parenting female youth and their children in Miami-Dade County, a large and diverse urban area. Mentoring will begin prior to release and continue with home visiting using the Circle of Security, a relationship-based early intervention model. The goal of the project is to reconnect incarcerated young mothers to community services, promote meaningful relationships, develop parenting capacity, address issues of trauma, and reduce recidivism in the criminal justice system. CA/NCF